Conventional steering wheels suitable for use in motor vehicles typically comprise a metal frame having a central boss from which one or more spokes extend in a generally radial direction. A generally circular or near-circular metal armature is supported by the radially outermost ends of the spokes in order to define part of a peripheral rim of the steering wheel, to be gripped by the driver of the vehicle. The armature is typically covered by a resilient covering, and the covering is finished with an outer skin. The outer skin is applied over the resilient covering to provide a visually and haptically pleasing peripheral surface to the steering wheel. It is conventional for the outer skin to be provided with a surface relief pattern of some sort, partly to improve the appearance and feel of the steering wheel, but also to provide an appropriate level of friction between the wheel and the hands of the driver to ensure the wheel can be properly gripped in use.
The external appearance of a motor vehicle steering wheel has a significant effect on the general feeling of wellbeing imparted to the driver of the vehicle and can thus play a role in a person's purchase decision when choosing a new car.
For these reasons, luxury, or so-called “premium” motor vehicles often have steering wheels whose rim is covered with leather or artificial leather. Conventional leather-covered steering wheels have their outer skins stitched around the rim. More particularly, the leather or artificial leather outer skin is provided with a plurality of spaced apart holes or eyes along its long sides, through which a fixing thread is stitched to secure the skin over and around the rim. The resulting line of stitching is usually formed on the rear of the rim, or radially inwardly so that it faces the central hub of the steering wheel. However, a significant disadvantage of this sort of arrangement is that its manufacture requires a large amount of manual work and is therefore complicated and expensive.